Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Upgraded at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Morgan Stanley currently has $200.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock, up from their previous price target of $160.00.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. UBS Group upgraded shares of Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $144.00 to $175.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Bank of America raised Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $190.00 to $192.00 in a research report on Monday, October 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on Brinker International from $207.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 30th. Barclays increased their target price on Brinker International from $135.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Brinker International from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Brinker International presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $181.05.

Brinker International Price Performance

EAT opened at $162.71 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $147.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $144.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The company has a market cap of $7.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.34. Brinker International has a 12-month low of $100.30 and a 12-month high of $192.21.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.32 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.94% and a return on equity of 164.66%. The company’s revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.95 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.50 EPS. Research analysts predict that Brinker International will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. UBS Group AG grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 155.2% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,464,389 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $185,509,000 after acquiring an additional 890,593 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in Brinker International by 27.7% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,393,604 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $176,542,000 after purchasing an additional 301,912 shares during the period. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 24.2% in the second quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 1,236,583 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $222,993,000 after purchasing an additional 240,870 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Brinker International by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,071,523 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $193,619,000 after purchasing an additional 14,033 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Brinker International by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 975,039 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $123,541,000 after purchasing an additional 18,935 shares during the period.

More Brinker International News

Here are the key news stories impacting Brinker International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $200 and moved EAT to an “overweight” rating, implying meaningful upside versus the current level. Wells Fargo raises EAT target
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley also upgraded Brinker to “overweight,” adding to the cluster of broker upgrades that can drive flows and sentiment. Morgan Stanley upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James raised Brinker to “outperform” with a $195 price target, further reinforcing the bullish analyst narrative. Raymond James rating changes
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen initiated coverage with a buy recommendation, expanding institutional coverage and potentially boosting demand among funds that track analyst coverage. TD Cowen initiates coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish research/features (Zacks and others) highlight Brinker’s sales growth, menu/digital initiatives and momentum — supporting a narrative of durable growth versus peers. Zacks industry growth piece

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc (NYSE: EAT) is a leading global operator of casual dining restaurants. The company’s portfolio is anchored by its flagship Chili’s® Grill & Bar concept and Maggiano’s® Little Italy full‐service restaurants, offering a range of American‐style menu items, handcrafted cocktails and family‐friendly dining experiences. Through dine‐in, takeout, delivery and catering services, Brinker seeks to meet consumer preferences across multiple channels.

The Chili’s brand features signature items such as baby back ribs, burgers and fajitas alongside a rotating selection of limited‐time offerings and seasonal beverages.